Closure cap for receptacles



May 11, 1937. R FERGUSSQN 2,079,932

CLOSURE CAP FOR RECEPTACLES Filed July 30, 1932 INVENTOR Ali. FergussonATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1937' UNITED STATES- aovasaz CLOSURE CAP roanrcnrmcmis Alan R. Fergusson, New York, N. Y., assignor to Hazel-AtlasGlass Oompany,Wheeling, W. "an a co p ration or West VirginiaApplication July 30, 1932, Serial No.626,273

9 Claims.

co-operate therewith in applying the closure cap a to the receptacle todraw and secure the'closure cap to the receptacle neck. Caps of thischaracter are made of relatively rigid metaland the screw threading ofthe skirt of the inner cup member reinforces and increases the rigidityof the metal thereof. In addition to threading the 20 edge of the skirtis provided with a bead, usually termed a wire edge, which renders thecup skirt so rigid that it is impossibleto reform the same under handpressure. It is practically impossible in the manufacture of receptaclesof glass to produce receptacles with threaded necks of uniform and thesame diameterdue to the expansion or contraction of the heated or moltenglass. This irregularity or variation in the diameter of the neck orthread thereon of sucdo cessively produced receptacles is so seriousthat it' is impossible to apply such a drawn and threaded cup memberonto the larger expanded receptacle necks or thread thereon since thecup member is of a rigid structure and fixed diameter resulting in greatloss of time and material in trying on closure caps and the discardingof receptacles the-threaded necks of which have expanded beyond certainfixed dimensions, and

when applying the closure caps to filled recep-. tacles by 'mechanicalmeans frequently resulting in the breaking of the receptacle andconsequent,

loss of the contents thereof. It is the principal object of the presentinvention to produce an improved constructed and arranged two partclosure cap for receptacles,

- such as bottles, vials, jars and the like, comprising an outer cupmember and a member concealed within the outer cup member provided witha locking device or screw thread to co-operate with the locking deviceor screw thread on the receptacle neck to firmly draw and lock theclosure member to the receptacle and adapt itself to irregularities andvariations in the diameter of the receptacle neck or the thread thereon,and

55 to provide the closure cap members with portions adapted to interlockto anchor the inner mem-.- ber within the outer member to preventinovement of the parts relative to each other and "assure applying andremoving forces applied to 60 the outer member of the closure cap beingtranswithin the cup member and provided with a locking device or screwthread adapted to be reformed to accommodate it to irregularities orvariations in the bottle neck or the thread thereon in applying theclosure cap thereto.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved constructedclosure ,cap of this character for receptacles, comprising a cup memberhaving a smooth skirt, and a split annular or ring member or band formedand severed from a web or strip and coiled to annular form and provided.with a locking device or screw thread to co-operate with the lockingdevice or screw thread on the receptacle neck to draw and rigidly lockthe closure cap to the receptacle neck with the disk portion of theclosure cap in firm engagement with the end wall of the receptacle neck,said band when arranged to annular form being of less diameter than theskirt of the cup member to permit of expansion of the annularmember, andthe cap members having parts to interlock to anchor, the inner memberwithin the outer, member to positively transmit to the inner member thesecuring force applied to the cup member and assure a rigid locking ofthe closure cap to the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. I

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this applicationFigure 1 is a sectional view of the month end of a receptacle and anembodiment of myimproved constructed closure cap applied thereto.

Figure2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the closure capdisassembled from the receptacle neck and about tobe applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the outer capmember of my improved closure cap.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner or locking member of theclosure cap.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of portions of the outer cap memberand inner locking member in disassembled relation to show theinterlocking means of said members to anchor the inner member to the capmember.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the members of the closure cap indisassembled relation and showing the same arranged with modifiedinterlocking means to anchor the inner member to the outer cap member;and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a strip or web of material from which theinner locking member is formed and showing the manner of forming the weband severing blanks therefrom from which said inner locking member isconstructed.

The closure member is particularly adapted for use with receptacles 8,such as bottles, vials, jars, and,the like made of glass, although itmay be used with receptacles of other materials, such as porcelain ormetal. In the embodiment illustrated the closure cap is shown inconnection with a glass bottle having a locking device or shoulder onthe exterior of the neck, shown in the form of a continuous screw thread9, although it may readily lend itself for surface decoration, and thedisk portion mayhave an inwardly extended bead l2 positioned within thejuncture of said disk portion with the skirt to be in opposed relationto the ,edge or end wall of the mouth of the receptacle 9 ,to impingeagainst and firmly seat a liner or sealing pad l3 to said end wall ofthe receptacle mouth.

The flange H is of increased diameter relative to the diameter of thethreaded bottle neck, and there is arranged within the cap member acircumferentially expansible and contractile band or ring member I4,transversely split, as at l5. Thering' member is formed to apredetermined diameter slightly less than the diameter of the bottleneck to which the closure cap is to be applied and less diameter thanthe diameter of the ,cap skirt l I and of a width somewhat less than thedepth of the cap skirt. The ring member is provided with a lockingdevice or shoulder, such as thread engaging means to co-operate with thelocking device or screw thread 9 on the bottle neck, and shown as ascrew thread IS. The opposite marginal end portions of the ring memberare flared outwardly, as at H, I8, which portions are adapted to looselyengage the cap skirt to support and maintain the body portion of thering member in spaced relation to the cap skirt. The flaring end portioni1 engages with and serves to support and retain the liner or sealingpad l3 within the cap member l0. To add resiliency to said flaringportion topermit of the ready expansion and contraction of the ringmember it is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slitsI!) cut inwardly from the edge to substantially the width of the flaringportion.

To retain the ring member within the cap member the marginal portion ofthe cap skirt is turned inwardly over the flaring end portion of thering member, as at 20. To anchor and prevent rotation of the ring memberrelative to the cap member and whereby the force to rotate the closurecap in applying it to the receptacle will be transmitted to the lockingmember and assure the drawing and firmly seating of the disk portion ofthe cap member and thereby the sealing pad to the edge .or end wall ofthe receptacle neck portions of the cap and ring members areinterlocked. This may be variably effected, and as shown in Figures 1 to5 the flaring end portion l8 of the ring member II is provided with aseries of notches 2| circumferentially disposed about and cut into theedge of said flaring ring portion, for the engagement of nibs or lips 22arranged on and extending from therim of the cup skirt, said nib beingof less width than the notches 2| to permit of the ex- ,panding andcontracting movements of the ring member.

In the Figure 6 construction there is shown a modification of theinterlocking means of the cap members and consisting of corrugating orflut-' I member arranged with the corrugations 23.

In the method of constructing the band or ring member hi there isprovided a fiat strip or web S"(Figure 7,) whereby said band may beeconomically constructed without waste of material. The web is drawnfroma rotatably supported roll of the web and formed with flutes or ribsto constitute the locking shoulder or thread engaging means It and theopposite longitudinal marginal portions are bent laterally to constitutethe flaring portions l7, ll! of the ring member, said flaring portionspreferably prior to bending them laterally being provided with the slitsI9 and notches 2 l. Blanks of a length equal to the predetermineddiameter of the ring members or bands to be formed are then severed fromthe strip and coiled or rolled to circular form.

As stated the band I4 is formed to a diameter which is slightly lessthan the predetermined di ameter of the threaded receptacle neck towhich it is to be applied and of less diameter than the diameter of thecup skirt H whereby it will normally be spaced from the skirt, as shownin Figure 2. The end wall of the. receptacle neck is so shaped that theleading end portion of the locking shoulder or thread engaging meanswill engage thereon and as the cup is rotated the ring member or bandwill expand and accommodate itself to the shape and diameter of thebottle neck and thread thereon, the band being expanded from the dottedline position to the full line position shown in Figure 1. In the eventthe receptacle is made of glass and the neck orthe thread thereon hasexpanded beyond its predetermined diameter due to expansion orcontraction in the cooling of the heated or moltenglass the split ringmember will reform itself under the force and without any appreciableeifort in applying it to the receptacle. In the expansion of the band orring member over an oversize receptacle neck there is also effected anelongation of said ring member, which is compensated for by the yieldingof the slitted flaring end l1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a, closure cap for receptacles, a. cup member having a skirt, asplit ring member engaged within the cup member of a normal diameterless than the diameter of and concealed by the cup skirt and having theopposite marginal portions-flared outwardly, one of said flaringmarginal portions having circumferentially spaced slits cut inward fromthe edge and the opposite 1 the inherent tension of the materialthereof, said normal diameter less than the diameter of the cupskirtengaged in the cup member, said ring member provided with threadengaging means and the opposite marginal portions flared outwardly withthe one flaring portion juxtaposed to the disk portion of the cup memberhaving circumferentially spaced slits cut inward from the edge, a linerinterposed between the disk portion of the cup member and the slittedflaring marginal portion of the ring member, and the rim portion of thecup skirt interlocked with the juxtaposed flaring marginal portion ofthe ring member to anchor the ring member to the cup member and permitof expansion and contraction thereof.

3. A closure cap for receptacles having a neck with an exterior lockingshoulder, comprising a cup member having a skirt of a diameter greaterthan the diameter of the receptacle neck to which the closure is to beapplied, and a band formed from a flat strip of resilient materialengaged within the cup member adapted to be circumferentially contractedand expanded against the inherent tension of the material thereof, saidbandhavingawidth slightly less than the depth of the cup skirt with theopposite marginal portions flared outwardly to engage the cup skirt andthe portion intermediate tions having a normal diameter less than thecup skirt and substantially the same as the outer di ameter of thereceptacle neck to which the closure cap is to be applied and formedwith a locking shoulder to o e-operatewith the shoulder on thereceptacle neck to lock the closure cap'thereto, and the rim of the cupskirt turned inward and upward and anchored to the outer flared marginalportion of the band to transmit rotary movement of the cup member tosaid band in engaging the looking shoulder thereof with the lockingshoulder on the receptacle neck to firmly draw the closure cap to thereceptacle neck and permit expansion and conforming of said band to thereceptacle neck and locking shoulder thereon in applying the closure capto the receptacle.

4. A closure cap for receptacles having a neck with an exterior lockingshoulder, comprising a cup member having, a skirt of a diameter greaterthan the diameter'of the receptacle neck, a band formed from a flatstrip of resilient material engaged within the cupmember adapted to becircumferentially contracted and expanded against band having a widthless than the depth or the cup skirt and formed to a normal diameterless than the diameter of the cup skirt and substantially equal to theouter diameter of the receptacle neck, said band having a lockingshoulder formed therein adapted to co-operate with the locking shoulderon the receptacle to lock the closure cap thereto and notches in theouter edge, and the rim of the cup skirt turned inward over the outeredge portion of the band, and portions thereof interlocked with the.band notches to anchor the band to the cup memberwith the body of theband spaced from the skirt of the member to prevent rotary movement ofthe cup member relative to the band in engaging the locking shoulderthereon with the locking shoulpansion of the band der on the receptacleneck and permit of exto conform with the receptacle neck and lockingshoulder.

5. A closure cap for receptacles having a neck with an exterior lockingshoulder, comprising a said flared marginal porinner member being of cupmember having a skirt of a diameter greater than the receptacle neck towhich it is to be applied, and'aband formed from a flat strip ofresilient material engaged within the cup member having a normaldiameter less than the diameter of the cup skirt and adapted to becircumferentially contracted and expanded against the in-.

herent tension thereofand conformed to the neck of a receptacle whenengaged thereon, said band being anchored to the cup skirt to permit ofcircumferential expansion and contraction of the ring mem 1r within thecup member, and having a locking shoulder formed therein to co-operatewith the locking shoulder on the receptacle to lock the closure cap tothe receptacle and adapted to conform itself to irregularities in thelocking shoulder on the receptacle neck.

6. A closure cap for receptacles having a neck with an exterior lockingshoulder, comprising a cup memberhaving a skirt of greater diameter thanthe receptacle neck to which it is to be applied, and a band formed froma flat strip of resilient material engaged within the cup member formedto a normal diameter less than the internal diameter of the cup memberand substantially equal to the outer diameter of the receptacle neck,-cup skirt and having notches spaced about the outer edges and a lockingshoulder formed inthe material thereof to co-operate ,with the locking.shoulder on the receptacle neck to lock the closure member thereto, andthe rim of the cup skirt turned inward over the notched edgeof the bandand having nibs extended therefrom to enin the ring member to anchormember and permit of circumferential expansion and contraction of theband.

'7. In a screw closure cap for receptacles, a cup member having a topand a smooth skirt, and an inner member comprising a split band providedwith thread'engaging means, the body of the inner member being of lessof the cup member and normally spaced therefrom, the split band and thespacing permitting the inner member to be expanded and contracted, andmeans for locking the inner member and the cup member together.

8. In a screw closure cap for receptacles, a cup member having a top anda smooth skirt, and an inner member comprising a split band providedwith thread engaging means, the body of the inner member being of lessdiameter than that of the cup member and normally spaced therefrom,thesplit band-and the spacing permitting the inner member to be expandedand contracted, the lower portion of the inner member being outwardlyflared, and means for lockingthe cup member to said outwardly flaredportion of the inner member.

9. In a screw closure cap for receptacles, a cup member having a top anda smooth skirt, and an inner member comprising a split band providedwith thread engaging means, the body of the less diameterthan-that ofthe cup member and normally spaced therefrom, the split band and thespacing permitting the inner member to be expanded and contracted, aliner supported between the upper end of the inner member and the top ofthe cup member, and means for locking the inner member and the cupmember together.

ALAN R. FERGUSSON.

and said band concealed by the

